Cement Steal-er

To save money, we've opted to be our own general contractor as we build-out what will become the first Bubble's chain Ukrainian laundromat. That means we have a lot of construction supplies, and people to oversee. We are constantly checking dry-wall, tile, cement powder bags, and other supplies to ensure no one is walking off, or selling off, any of our inventory. The workers know they are under a watchful eye.
People often come in from off the street to see what we're doing.

The other day a kind older woman, commonly referred to as a Babushka, wandered in. She seemed genuinely interested and elated at the prospect of a self-serve, full-service laundromat. Then it was back to work, overseeing everyone, as usual.
A few minutes later, we spotted this same Babushka at the far end of the store - she had maneuvered her way around, under, and through the scaffolding. What's more, she seemed to be sweeping. As we approached we noticed she wasn't just helping us clean, she was sweeping cement powder into her purse.
Us: "Can I help you?"
Babushka: "Oh, it's fine, the owner said I could have some of this."
Us: "Really? I'm the owner."

stock photo

Babushka, a little embarrassed, but not apologetic: "Oh, well I only need a kilo or two to fill a hole in my balcony."
We head out of the store together - all indoor construction work stops, and everyone watches to see what will happen.
~Outside~
Us: "You were stealing construction supplies we bought for our store."
Babushka: "It's only a little bit. I didn't think anyone would notice. It's just for a little hole on my balcony."
~Clearly the ethical nature of this situation resonates differently between our two parties~
Us: "Even stealing a little bit is still stealing."
~We part ways. Babushka carries her purse, laden with an extra kilo-plus of cement powder, and shaking our heads in a construction haze of disbelief~

We've concluded a good, ethical general contractor is worth every penny. Perhaps we deserve a raise.